On the loose

A poem.

Ahem.

My alarm clock is a lion
Prowling on thickly padded feet
Lurking on the edge of my
Soft contented dreams
Until, ferociously attacking, he
Growls right in my ear

Holiday joy

Boy do I love the Holiday season. From now and into the beginning of January things just seem better. Christmas Blend at Starbucks, school breaks, poinsettas, satsumas, pinochle, Christmas trees, lights, pumpkin pie and chatter over late dinners. Bring it on!

I'm registering for next quarter's classes: Math 99 (don't laugh at my ignorance, it's been years!), Humanities 107 and Business Administration 101. Exciting!

I've been so busy these last few weeks. Just trying to juggle it all- homework, classes and work. I figured out why I've been so tired: I sit for 14.5 hours in a classroom, work 25-32 hours and attempt to keep up with homework and tests with about 10-16 hours of homework each and every week. But not this week! I'm going to sleep in tomorrow for the first time in a while! Yeeehaw!

Last week, I was in Aberdeen. Dad and I had a gig at a Martini Party. Wow can Dad play! He's just so good! He did some singing too and we sang together...I loved it! Other highlights included Jia Tai, Warren and I dancing our feet off in the kitchen- mom, dad and Claire even joined in!- and seeing my little former neighbor Jesse. I also got to see some wonderful friends from CLF on Sunday. That made me happy.

Happy Thanksgiving everybody!

Education Costs part 2

A little update for my records, and your interest, if so inclined.

I ended up not being able to use one of my "bargain" books, so I ended up buying the text at full cost from the bookstore on campus for $167.98. Oh the agony of standing in that line, dreaming up some idea that might keep me from handing over my credit card for this purchase.

Nothing came to me though.

The good news, I am learning a lot. And, I am hopefully going to be able to resell it.

Education costs part 1

Hello. I know it's been a while since I posted anything, I've been having such a good time I've kind of forgotten about updating this little thing! It's 3:45 a.m. on a Saturday morning and I'm going to be going to work in a little bit, but as so often is the case with me, since I am getting up early, I can't sleep since I'm worried I won't hear my alarm. Sigh.

I was thinking that it would be interesting to post the cost of my college costs here. More for my own purposes, but also because it might illuminate some things for others too, you never know. We hear so much about the exorbitant cost of college, I've been wondering if there's any way to get a genuine degree on a budget. And without taking out a loan. Hmmm. Sounds like a job for superwoman.

By the way, I'm not factoring in loss of income due to working less hours or gas/mileage/wear and tear on the car. Just the class and book fees.

So, for this first quarter at Whatcom Community College (I'll be transferring later to Western):

15 credits...................................$915
books for three classes............$83.71*

Total: $998.71

I'll try and remember to keep this thing going more often. For now, good morning!


*Books. Interesting. I found all the books needed online, at way cheaper prices than at the bookstore. I just got the first one yesterday. It's in good condition. But, 3 books came to $18.22 including shipping and the 4th book I couldn't get cheaper than $65.49 including shipping. Still, I'm glad I did that online hunting. It saved me about $275! (no joke.) God bless the internet.

Thankfulness

I have so much to be thankful for today. I have moved, registered for my classes and gotten a job. I have great renters for the Beehive and friends who like me and who I like and learn from. My family lets me stay for the week, eating their food and sleeping on their couch, enjoying their company, and I get to work with musicians who are so good...I'm inspired and overjoyed every time I play with them. But that's not all....I have a bike too! How did my life get this good? I am so thankful. I feel like it's such a good time for me. It's a pocket valley of peace. I know life won't be this good (or easy) forever, so I just want to enjoy these moments.

Some highlights from the last week:

After a great week in Aberdeen (I went down for some music jobs) I left early in the morning yesterday to get back to Bellingham and beat traffic. (Almost successful.) My cousins and I rode our bikes about 9 miles (?) (felt like 25) to the farmer's market, where we ate dry leftover roast beef sandwiches and watched people of all different types. The biggest thing I noticed though was the smell. Delicious.


My great grandpa turned 100 years old on Friday. We had a big party at his assisted living facility. The staff brought in some Hoquiam firemen to light his candles...all 100...on the birthday cake. It was hilarious. Can you imagine...born in 1907 and seeing all those world events? Note: I bought the Beehive from him and he always tells me what a good house that is. He bought that house in 1964 and lived there until he was 98.


Zona Calda (the jazz quartet I'm so happy to be a part of) played some shows this week...one at the Pacific County Fair. Now that's a fair that makes you feel like you're on a movie set. It's tiny, but hearty. Menlo, Washington knows how to get the job done.


My sister Claire, always such a gracious person, made my favorite breakfast food ever...pear pastries and chocolate pastries. They are so fantastic. And a lot of work! She starts them several days before we eat them, letting them rise many times to become the flaky wonders that they are. She was up working on them at 5 or something the morning we ate them. Thank you Claire.


I danced with Jia Tai, my brother with the true dance floor MOVES.

Warren surprised me with his singing ability and songwriting ideas. Wyatt, Warren, Laurel, Jai Tai and Gabby (our Bellingham cousin) and I started writing a tune this week. We have it on video (scary) but there are some really good ideas in it..and a big part of that came from 9 year old Warren. He played drums and was the lead singer. Could it be that my brothers will start a band and travel the world? That would be cool. Of course getting Laurel to participate was like trying to run over a cat...difficult. She's so good but just shy, I guess. She reminds me of me, I have such a love/hate relationship with music and performing. I feel like I'm a late bloomer and am just now beginning to embrace it. I hope she does that earlier, it's more fun to accept who you are than deny it. And she is so a musician with a gift. (For the record, she's a much better musician than I...I mean that we are alike in hating to play in front of people.)


Anyhoo. I'm at my first day of work tomorrow and am looking forward to it. A-haaaaaaa!

The move

Well I've made the move. I'm nearly unpacked and I'm settling in nicely. My family is the best. They did so much work to help me get out of the house and into the trailer, and then out of the trailer into my studio. Now my family in the north is being so welcoming and kind. I feel so relaxed about everything. Even job hunting, which is unsettling. Kind of like a first date. You want so badly to make a dynamic, delightful, interesting impression....ahhh. It's hard to be that when you're nervous and your words trip over themselves coming out your mouth. Yes.

Thank you and good night. I'm tired. Tomorrow is a new day!

Simplicity

I found a journal posting from May that I wanted to share on this blog. Random but definitely on my mind...and probably many others.

I just want to live simply. And yet, I have all these wants that make me buy things like good quality coffee and organic free range chicken and nonfat milk and whipping cream that I mix together to make whole milk since, oh yes, fat molecules should be larger than they are after the hydrogenation process. It’s crazy.

Today, I threw a little surprise birthday party for a neighbor kid who’s now 8. I walked him and some of the other kids home, and then talked with a parent for a bit. I mentioned that his kids were very well behaved but having a houseful of kids is overwhelming. He laughed and agreed (he’s the father of seven, he should know.) And I know too, I’m the oldest of seven kids, but somehow, I’ve forgotten. So the party and it’s volume was kind of a shock to my system.

I just hope that when I’m married and have kids, I will be able to live simply and quietly. Am I fooling myself? My life is truly simple now. I think I’m fairly good at not being materialistic, though that’s a constant struggle, but add more people to the mix and I don’t think it would be all that peaceful. Something to think about.

New Music

Check out Sara Bareilles....wow, what a singer! www.sarabmusic.com.

Just do it

Nike was right. I want to tell everyone about how cool automatic savings plans are! Before January of this year, I would work my paychecks like this:

1st - Tithe/giving
2nd - bills
3rd - savings

Then I kept reading about how automatic savings plans were helpful...I didn't really believe it, since I thought I was saving as much as possible already. Ahh, little did I know. Now my paychecks are divided up in this order:

1st - Tithe/giving
2nd - bills and savings

By treating my savings (paying myself) as a bill, and having it taken out automatically, I've been able to save about 32% more each month. And I don't feel I've denied myself anymore than normal. Don't ask me how it works, but somehow, my brain has been fooled and there is more money stashed away.

Just want to encourage all you lovables- if you haven't tried this, start today! (And lest you think you don't have enough, start small. I opened an online account several months ago yielding a 5.05% interest rate and automatically have $15 entered from each paycheck. It's really amazing how painless this is, and since I have it earmarked for a certain event in about three years time, I know I'll have the money available when I need it!)

Weekend in Bellingham

This past weekend, some of my extended family met up in Bellingham, mostly to see my cousins, Trevor and Philip, back from West Point and China, respectively, for the week. We had such a good time! It was beautiful, we spent all day Saturday on Lake Samish at my brother and sister in law's place, and being with my family rates high on the priority list. They are fun and interesting people!

I also moved up some items to my new place (I'm renting a mother-in-law apartment from my aunt and uncle starting August 1st) and opened a checking account, got some job applications and drove around the WCC campus. I kept telling myself that this would soon be the new stomping grounds, but I can barely believe it!

I am thrilled! I am terrified! I am anxious! I am exhilarated beyond words! I just don't want to fail, I want to succeed at this.

Have you any advice for me?

Zap Mama

The world is so sunny! Zap Mama is going to be at Bumbershoot! (Clouds part, the angels sound their major chord!) I'm going!

Scarves

You know...if I were to name one item of clothing than can do more for adding drama/femininity/luxury/fun/sophistication/youth/glamour/ than anything else...it would be the scarf. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scarf

A scarf makes a statement! And...it's a statement you probably want to make! Lovely yet modest. You can look hip, serious, exotic, younger, older, witty or ambitious at will. Need some ideas to get you started? Check out the following link: http://www.greatestlook.com/tyingscarves.html. I've never seen a woman wearing a scarf who I thought would look better without it on. They are just marvelous!

I'll never forget meeting an older lady (65?) in Bath, England at the American Museum several years ago. It was a stunning fall day, perfect. This lady was sitting on a stone bench on a path near where I was walking through the grounds. She was the most gorgeous creature I may have ever met. She had white hair and grey eyes and she had on a long brown skirt with a white blouse and some artsy jewelry and a scarf. After meeting her by chance that day, I realized...You can still be drop dead beautiful when you're old. I don't think we have to fade as we age...we can still have some sparkle.

What does a month in Europe cost?

Finally...the lowdown you've all been waiting for!

Ahem.

First, a couple of important things to know.

I spent the month traveling with two other people. It really makes things cheaper to travel in a small group. Sharing the cost of groceries, lodging and having a friend or two to laugh with is the best way to go!

We did backpack and we did use public transportation other than two taxi rides in Rome. All in all, this trip was fairly rough (i.e. we made meals in our friends' homes and in the apartments we rented) though still incredibly enjoyable and relaxing. We just tried to be as European as possible, meaning, we didn't expect American things/service/conveniences. Of course, we really didn't deny ourselves too much. We drank coffees/tea/hot chocolate in too many cafes to list and stuffed ourselves with gorgeous pastries in Paris. I guess the priority was food!


We spent the first two weeks of the trip (nearly) with friends. (Ahhh...how wonderful to not only have friends to visit in cool places...but how enriching to learn more about a country as a guest of a native! Please...do yourself a favor,
and make friends with people from other places! I'm sure you know exactly what I mean!)

So, without further ado...here's what it cost me:

airfare Seattle to London roundtrip: $880.00
airfare London to Amsterdam roundtrip: $170.00
eurail pass (11 flexi days in two months): $404.00
last minute flight from Milan to Paris: $156.80
transporation: $248.35
food: $534.20 (18 nts.)
entertainment (museums, bike rental) $116.30

Grand Total: $2509.65

I did make some purchases and buy a few gifts which aren't added to the above figure, but the nuts and bolts of everything else is accounted for. It's probably good to mention exactly where we went: One day in London, 5 days in Dordrecht, Haarlem, Amsterdam (the Netherlands), 6 days in Berne, Biel, Pieterlin, Luzerne and much of the western and middle part of Switzerland, 3 days in Florence, 4 days in Rome, 3 days in Cinque Terre (Italy), 8 days in Paris (France).

The wonderful thing about this is that, yes, it's chunk of money, but it's within your reach! So, if you've ever wanted to float the Amazon, sit in an outdoor cafe in Vienna or hike the Swiss Alps...open up that online savings account today and start stashing away little, regular bits of moolah.

Before you know it...you'll be there!

Back in the Saddle again

Yo ho!

I'm back and it feels good! I do love home.

This weekend I'll be posting a detailed budget of what it actually cost to spend a month in Europe. Oh it's going to be ugly but the spending habits of this woman will be laid bare in front of your very eyes.

I think I spend half my budget on coffee. Ahhhh. Oh and French clothes.

I know, be patient...it won't be long now!

Passport here, packing will commence tonight!

Oh sooooo ya.

Lolo's passport is in, and it's almost time to hit the road

Upcoming trip

Just one week until my vacation! My lovely two sisters and I are headed off for a month of backpacking, train hopping, friend visiting and cheese and pastry tasting in the land of western Europe. I know, such a cliche! But it's so beautiful!
The bad news is that Laurel's (youngest sister) passport still has not arrived. She applied for it March 7th. Yikes.

The trip's budget has grown since we first had the idea to go. Originally, it was $2250. (That's including everything...airfare, food, train pass and tickets...) Now it's up to $3745. Oh boy. That's a lot of money for a girl getting ready to become a full time student and a part time employee.

But it IS a memory that none of us will soon forget. When I was living in London, I dreamed about doing this with the girls...now they are old enough (16 and 14) and both working so it's a dream that is coming true!

So, here are the numbers!

Getting Around

* Flight (Seattle to London) $880
* Flight (London to Amsterdam) $170
* Eurail Pass $400
* Misc. Tickets $395

Lodging

* Staying with friends 12 nights $0
* Apartment in Rome (4 nts) $200
* Apartment in Cinque Terre (3 nts) $90
* Hostel in Paris (8 nts) $200
* Hostel in Tuscany (3 nts) $95

Food (Hopefully we can cut costs here. We'll see!)

* 12 days @ $15 day when with friends $180
* 21 days @ $25 day when not $525

Sights (museum fees etc.) 25 days @ $15 (a very rough estimate) $375

Spending Money $200

Misc. (gas for ride to and from airport, phone cards) $35

I'm going to try and keep good records and compare actual costs at the end of the trip to my budget. I'm not sure how far I'm off in different areas.

What an adventure!

Finance Tool

There are so many interesting blogs out there! I've been discovering some great ones...mostly personal finance, living more simply and sewing your own clothes. No matter your hobby, apparently there's a blog out there for you!

One cool thing is this neato finance tool to help keep you on track with your net worth. Now, I'm not into the whole "How rich can I possibly get in my lifetime?" mindset. I think it's wise to carefully control your budget and save, but I also know that while I have some money in my savings account, vast amounts of people are sending their children to bed hungry and working very hard to keep a roof over their heads. No matter what, I don't want to forget that fact.

But it is great to keep saving and working toward goals...if only to be able to manage manage well enough to have more and more to give every year. I think this tool could help. It's a simple way to manage how much you have and how much you owe and keep track of that online. See what I mean at www.networthIQ.com.

Of course, you could just do that in excel, but it seems cooler this way.

Great Leadership Interview

I like this interview...it made me think!

http://www.codymckibben.com/2006/12/how-to-get-a-life-beyond-code-an-interview-with-rajesh-setty/

Get a life!

Is "getting a life" a subjective thing? Or are there some hard and fast guidelines in how to build a life?

A "life" could be described as meaning, or purpose. You may have a friend who spends most of her spare time watching sitcoms, going to the movies, playing video games and eating out with friends. That friend, for instance, may or may not be happy, but the point is, she finds her meaning (evidently) in entertainment. A lot of people do (at least in the western world). It's so easy to in our pleasure driven society.

The key is to find meaning in those things that last. What lasts? I think: Relationships- how we "deal" with God, the impact we have on people and that people have on us (good or bad), the Bible ("Heaven and earth shall pass away but my word shall remain...") and mmmm, not much else. Right? Am I forgetting something important?

Now, other things matter too (I think): Godliness (Paul says it is "great gain") and work to help people ("faith without works is dead" and "true religion is this: to look after widows and orphans..."). I also think that God creates each of us with a distinct purpose in life: (in my mother's womb...you formed me, you knew each day before I lived- Ps. 139, I can't remember it word for word) I think the purpose ALWAYS equals people choosing Christ because of us.

Specifically for instance, I think part of my purpose in this world is to:

Love and encourage my brothers and sisters to live for God

Be a musician who honestly and creatively relates to people in terms of songs about God, life, people etc.

Help orphans in desperately poor countries

So, when I say "Get a life!" I'm meaning..."Find your life purpose and get on it. Define the dream and start working towards it." I'm not saying "Medicate your pain, or entertain yourself by cooking, reading, watching tv or hanging out with friends." (Those aren't bad things...it's just what form we let them take in our lives.)

Any thoughts on this HUGE topic?

BIG NEWS FOR OUR FAMILY!

Well, we just found out today that in about six months time (barring any delays), a baby girl will be coming to meet her new family in the U.S. My parents are adopting a little Chinese girl named Wen-Jing, who is almost two years old. She has the sweetest little face and a partly repaired double cleft lip and her profile says that she loves music. I tried posting her picture but couldn't get it to upload.

Big news, and very exciting!

Something to live by

I have a new respect for the saying, "Never put off for tomorrow, what you can do today." It's so simple. Somewhere I read that most people overassume what they can achieve in a week, yet don't realize the power of a decade. A lot can be done in 10 years.

Some of my 15 year goals include:

Be MBA crowned

Sing and play for the U.S. President

Speak and write in three languages

Be a published book author

Live abroad

And yet, none of these are possible if I don't do today the little things that will get me to these big goals. I must handle paperwork to register for school, I need to practice scales and write song after song to work on my craft, and it's past time to start studying a language seriously. So, chickadee, never put off for tomorrow what you can do today.

Worth Your Time

It's a rare thing to be able to recommend without reservation a newer movies these days but I have one! Check out the indie film, SAINTS AND SOLDIERS. You'll be glad you did. Thanks Stephen for letting me know about it!

Random Opinion

I've had an interesting email discussion with a friend over the last week regarding human interaction.

It's been thought provoking for me and I am posting this little snippet of one my responses because I think it encapsulates something I've been thinking about over the past couple of years:

"Better to be single your entire life than marry a foolish person. When I'm single, I may be lonely sometimes, but my fate isn't tied to a foolish man's. We all know what the Bible says about foolish men and women. When I'm single, all I have to blame for failure is me. (Which is oddly satisfying because I can change me, but I can't change someone else.) And what about foolish parenting? Gosh. Better to have no kids (and I really would love have to kids, so this is saying something) than have kids with a foolish man."

I hope the right fit for me is out there, but I don't worry if he's not. Who's responsible for my life here on earth? A husband? No. Me.

My parents gave me something truly priceless when they started the process of teaching me the tools needed to make an interesting, productive life- rich in wisdom and meaningful in eternity. That's what counts.

That's why, if I marry- he will be one wise guy. :)

Money Quotes

I was reading an article recently and these two quotes jumped out at me:

"There is no dignity quite so impressive and no independence quite so important as living within your means."

Calvin Coolidge

"A budget is telling your money where to go instead of wondering where it went."

John Maxwell

Now why didn't I think of that?

Ladies and Gentlemen, the length of the Amazon river was recently swam by a 52 year old man. We're talking 3272 miles of strokes! (Think of the drive from Seattle to Miami. Phew!) Slovenian Martin Strell, who has conquered the Missippi, the Yangtze and the Danube, took on the mighty Amazon by swimming 50 miles a day for 66 days. And, despite my thoughts that his biggest worry would be the piranha and other scary animals...the ocean currents in the Amazon were actually one of the largest threats to not being able to complete the arduous journey. Yes, currents so strong, that at times he was moving his arms and legs but traveling backwards. I can only imagine his relief on arriving in the old city of Belem to a cheering crowd! See http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/talking_point/6389845.stm for an interview, his route and more.

Interesting note: This may prove my Dad right about a long held opinion. Strell was formerly a guitar teacher at a Slovenian Music school before becoming a pro swimmer. Dad, if you're reading this, you've gotten a point in your favor.

Mankind's Predicament

My cousin Philip is in China through a study abroad program right now. Check out his last two blogs re: a desperate situation near where he lives, it's worth the read. www.philsjourneys.blogspot.com.

Reading it made me wonder: Is helping others to survive even when survival is questionable in quality worth it? How much do I value life? More specifically...people? What am I willing to give and do for another person? I'm not guaranteed that that person will become a responsible citizen or a good person or even thankful. Is doing good because it's the right thing enough for me? Who am I trying to please when I give money or time? My own ego? My feelings of guilt for being born in a land of plenty? God?

Go figure

Duh.

For the past few months, I've been really excited about making the most of my time and reading through the classics, etc. I even wrote a little post last week about how I was leaving behind all my time wasting activities (basically) and wouldn't you know...this last weekend, I have watched more tv than I care to admit. Funny how that happens.

What I watched:

The Holiday
* I'm not usually a fan of romantic comedies, they are so unrealistic. And while this is also an unrealistic movie (especially the wealth factor) it's also charming. I like how they portrayed the love stories within the context of older and younger generations.

Stranger than Fiction
* Oh wow, what a show. It is wierd. But I liked it. A lot. Great music. And the bakery scenes made me want to open a shop where I could make amazing food. I also wanted to get an arm/shoulder tattoo...for about 2 minutes.

DISCLAIMER: Both of these warrant their pg-13 rating. Language and the whole shacking up before marriage.

A further note: Both of these shows had scenes where the "romantic interest couple" after sleeping together (and I might add, after knowing the other person for a VERY short period of time) have a conversation with the words... "I think I'm falling in love with you". Hold it! What happened to falling in love and committing to a relationship before sex? Am I missing something here?

Apple Pie

Last night, on a whim, I made the best apple pie of my life. Hands down. No contest. In the battle between myself and myself as cooks- it was delicious.

Of course, sadly, my sister Claire and sister-in-law Paige still make better ones in their sleep.

Ah well. I'm still going to enjoy my pie.

Life is a series of experiences, each one of which makes us bigger, even though it is hard to realize this. For the world was built to develop character, and we must learn that the setbacks and griefs which we endure help us in our marching onward.
Henry Ford (1863 - 1947)

(Even in matters of the stomach.)

Self Education

I've been reading a challenging book, "The Well Educated Mind: A Guide to the Classical Education You Never Had" by Susan Wise Bauer. To be frank, I've always considered myself smart enough to get by and even more importantly, in possession of (because of great teachers) the tools needed to succeed. (I really and truly believe that character is the most important key to a meaningful, and thus, successful, life.) But in reading this book, (and this is a good thing), I'm discovering how ignorant I am!

This discovery is motivating me to learn on my own time; to continue my education on lunch breaks, evenings at home, weekends and to use the time otherwise usually frittered away on tv, small talk, lame books & magazines, shopping, online surfing...boy, the list really could go on!

I just finished reading "Gulliver's Travels" by Jonathan Swift. More on that later, but for now, let me just say that I'm trying to wrap my head around what Swift's point was. I know it's there, and I have a hunch it's so good that I want to make sure I don't rush away from it to the next book without really, uhhhh, sucking the marrow out it's bones.

So, at the end of the day, here are two things I must remember:

1. I am an ignorant little puss
2. An education to be proud of (and that costs only time and energy) is within reach

Less talk, a little more action please!

I woke up this morning, puttered around in my gray bathrobe and was stopped in my tracks in the hall by the pleased glowing in my brain. For the first time, amidst my endless lists and mind-buzzings of what's left to do, I realized that I was actually doing what I've been talking about for a long time. THE NEXT THING. MOVING ON. PURSUING THE DREAM. Whatever you want to call it, I'm finally doing it. And it feels so good!

At 25, I'm headed back to school as full time student. I feel like I am embarking on a grand adventure. And you know what, I really am.